1791- ON POETICAL GfeNIU5. 



On ihe EJfeiitial ^talitles of Poetical Genhisi 

 The fuccefsful Competition Effay. 



To the Editor of tke Bee. 

 Sir, 



In an^age fo much adcli£ted to poetry and criticifm as 

 the prefent, it may not be improper to afcertain and il- 

 lullrate the Eflential QuaHties of Poetical Compofition. 

 Are they not fully, though briefly, exprefled by Horace 

 in the two following lines ? 



" Ingenium cui fit, cui mens divinior, atque os 



" Majna fonatui'um ; des nominis hujus honorem J" 



. In thefe lines three particulars are mentioned 5 — In- 

 genium — mens divinior — os magna fonaturiim. Invention, 

 a divine mind, or a mind unufually elevated, and ta- 

 lents of powerful expreffion. We fliall make fome'ob- 

 fervations on each of thefe feparately. 



I. By ingenium may be here underilood invention, in- 

 genuity, or that great creating power of the poet which 

 depends on imagination. It is by this talent that the 

 poet makes a proper choice and arrangement of thofe 

 circumllances in an objeft, which, in fuggefting it he 

 means to employ. For though we afcribe to him crea- 

 tive pov/ers, it is not meant that he forms beings alto- 

 gether new, or of materials that never exifted till he 

 produced them : we only mean that he works on the 

 materials prefented to him by nature j he feparates and 

 throws them into new combinations. He thus by al- 

 tering, and new modelling, makes new objefts j with 

 a view to excite llronger emotions than they would 

 otherwife occafion. 



Poetic genius is diftinguiflied by the exercife of in- 

 vention and imitation ; for they are in fa<^ the fame. 

 The poet invents, that is, he throws circumftances into 

 J new form \ but that form is intended to reprefent, fo 



Vol. V. ^ Y 



